Football
AFCON Semi-Final Predictions
The Africa Cup of Nations reaches the business end on Wednesday 14 January, with two heavyweight semi-final clashes set to decide who will compete for continental glory.
With star players and tight margins, below we preview both matches which certainly promise drama.
Senegal vs Egypt
The first semi-final sees Senegal take on Egypt in a mouth-watering encounter that will catch the eye of Liverpool fans across the globe. Sadio Mané vs Mohamed Salah is the headline battle – two African icons, familiar teammates, now rivals on one of the biggest stages.
Egypt arrive as underdogs at 14/5, but they have a habit of rising to the occasion in knockout football. Salah, despite a challenging season and ongoing speculation surrounding his club future, remains the ultimate big-game player. He is the favourite to score anytime at 2/1, and that price is hard to ignore. These are the moments where elite players deliver, and Salah has proven time and again that pressure only sharpens his edge.
Senegal, however, look the more complete side overall. Priced at 23/20, they boast impressive squad depth and arguably the stronger bench – a crucial factor at this stage of the tournament. With the physical demands of AFCON often taking their toll late in matches, that extra quality could prove decisive.
Expect a tense, tactical affair where moments of brilliance make the difference. While Egypt have the individual quality to hurt Senegal, but the odds are in favour of the reigning champions, who may just have enough to edge through.
Nigeria vs Morocco
The second semi-final is arguably the standout fixture of the round, pitting tournament favourites Morocco against an in-form Nigerian side priced at 12/5.
Nigeria are the only remaining team to have won all of their matches at AFCON so far, scoring eight goals and playing with confidence and attacking intent. Morocco, who have been tournament favourites from the beginning were held to a surprise 1-1 draw with Mali, but remain the outright favourites to lift the trophy at 13/10.
With both teams packed full of attacking talent, goals look likely. Both Teams to Score is priced at 19/20, a compelling option given Nigeria’s firepower and Morocco’s attacking quality.
Nigeria can call on the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Paul Onuachu, all capable of testing the goalkeeper, making the Enhanced Player Shots on Target market particularly appealing. Morocco can respond in kind with threats such as Youssef En-Nesyri, Brahim Díaz and Hamza Igamane, setting the stage for an open, end-to-end contest.
Nigeria have already seen off Algeria in the quarter-finals and could cause another upset by eliminating the tournament favourites here. While the first semi-final will be of particular interest to Liverpool supporters, this clash should catch the attention of Fulham fans, with Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Calvin Bassey all likely to feature at some point during the match.
The odds suggest that whoever progresses from this semi-final will likely head into the final as favourites, underlining just how important this clash could be in shaping the tournament outcome.
